The Engine Development II Course focuses on the most utilized motion systems found within game engines, taking into account low-level graphics libraries as well as 3D hardware issues. The course covers programming complex object and character motions driven by animations or user input. Additionally, game object interaction with other objects and environments using collision detection and reaction is covered.

Rich and efficient real time animation has become critical in today’s 3D games. In this course, the students will examine a wide scope of animation techniques that are used in traditional computer animations and in-game real time animation. Course material will focus on developing executable animation components including, morphing, articulated animation, skin and bones characters, an adaptable animation playback system and exporting/importing animation data from industry standard animation creation tools.

In the Artificial Intelligence Course, students learn techniques for designing intelligent behaviors and creating lifelike behaviors in characters to be used in modern games in order to provide realism, and computer opponents that continue to challenge players even after repeated game-play. Students learn how to give intelligence to computer characters, including techniques for searching, game-playing, decision making, and learning. Various techniques for modeling realistic behaviors are also studied.

The Optimization Course focuses on the techniques required for increasing the frame rate of video game applications. By examining the relationship between the CPU, GPU, and their architectures, students better understand how code and art affects their platform. Students are introduced to the process of detecting optimization bottlenecks and hotspots for the CPU, GPU, and other hardware resources. Students also explore methods used to solve common video game hotspots and bottlenecks. These methods increase performance through techniques that involve memory, multi-threading, shaders, drivers, and CPU/GPU processing.

An embedded computer system operates differently from a desktop or laptop machine. There is generally no operating system and the functionality requires closer interaction with the hardware. In this class, the students will investigate machine architecture with a particular focus on how the hardware architecture influences the way the software is designed and crafting code sequences that marry with the hardware to improve performance. The class will explore the embedded development with an emphasis on how the system impacts the software design and development methodologies.